New Delhi, Dec 13 (IANS): Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani and Defence Minister Guido Crosetto are scheduled to visit India early next year as both countries continue to unlock the unparalleled potential of strategic partnership driven by a shared vision outlined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Italian PM Giorgia Meloni who have held five meetings over the last two years.
In an exclusive interview with IANS, Italian Ambassador to India Antonio Bartoli revealed that the Italy-India Joint Strategic Action Plan 2025-2029 unveiled by the both leaders during their discussions held on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro last month, has infused further momentum and depth in the bilateral agenda.
"Defence and space are top on the agenda of the Joint Strategic Action Plan. It means that we are assuring an ever-increasing presence in the Indo-Pacific region," Bartoli told IANS while confirming the visits of Italian Deputy PM and Defence Minister, early next year.
Both countries have been working extensively on the possibilities of joint development, including fostering the interaction of the Indian start-ups with the Italian defence companies, since the visit of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to Rome last year during which he held detailed discussions with Crosetto on a range of defence cooperation issues, including training, sharing of information, maritime exercises and maritime security.
In October, India welcomed Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour and frigate ITS Alpino on their first Indo-Pacific deployment - a visit that Rome underlined was a testimony to the importance Italy attaches to the Indo-Pacific and the will to work closer with India.
"The idea of 'Make in India' applies also to the defence sector, so our defence industries are eager and ready to move some productions here and develop co-design and co-production projects with the industry of India. The next step is to identify this area and proceed," the Italian Ambassador told IANS.
The Joint Strategic Action Plan mentions interactions between respective Armed Forces in the framework of Italy's growing interest in the Indo-Pacific region, aimed at increasing interoperability and cooperation, including negotiations of any useful arrangement supporting such interactions.
It also lists exploring avenues of enhanced partnerships and dialogue among public and private stakeholders, focusing on technology collaboration, co-production and co-development of defence platforms and equipment besides negotiating a Defence Industrial Roadmap, between the two Ministries of Defence and promote a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) and the Italian Industries Federation for Aerospace, Defence and Security (AIAD).